Rail fastening



Dec. 17, 1935. w c, OBERG 2,024,870

RAIL FASTENING Filed May 21, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l I hwenfor: W/LL/fi/W C. 055/56,

Dec. 17,1935. @oB RG v 2,024,870

RAIL FASTENING Filed May 21, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [mm 5X07"; f

w. c, OBERG RAIL FASTENING Dec. 17, 1935;

Filed May 21, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet .5

' bweniar: VV/LL/fiM C GEE/Q6,

. fi/Ii glib/ ays Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I 2,024,870 RAIL FASTENING William 0. Oberg, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 725,791

4 Claims. (01. 238-304) This invention relates to rail fastenings, one of the objects being to improve the fastening disclosed by Theodor Buchholz inhis Patent No.

The rail fastening disclosed in the above patent is superior tothe standard types now used respecting its ability to fasten a rail to a tie, but it is subject to the disadvantage that it must be made from a section that is rolled to include heavy ribs which must be subsequently machined by means of an expensive cutter. It follows that this rail fastening isan exceedingly expensive proposition, and the railroads in this country have been loath to adopt it because of the high cost involved. I

Furthermore, this rail fastening requiresthe use of several sets of rolls in forming the sections from which the rail plate is made, since it is necessary to use an entirely differently rolled product having ribs differently spaced, in order to accommodate the bases of different weights of rails. It is apparent that this increases the rolling costs involved in its construction, unless it is to be sold as. accommodating onlyone weight of rail. This serious disadvantage has further contributed to prevent the selling of this rail fastening.

A more specific object of the present invention is to. provide a rail fastening having all the advantages of the patented construction and which may be sold at a much lower price whereby it may compete favorably with the standard types. Another specific object is to construct the new rail fastening in such a manner that it may be produced from the same rolled product so as to accommodate different weights of rails. Other objects may be inferred.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings:

. Figure l-is a top view of an example of a rail fastening embodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a section from the line II-II in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section from theline III--III in Figure 2.

Figures 4 through l2show successive steps of the new method.

Figures 13 through 15 show successive steps of a. modification of the new method.

Figure 16 is a top view of the article produced by the new method.

Figures 17 and 18 are cross-sectional and top views of a. modification of the invention.

Figure 19 is a top view of this modified rail fastening in use.

Figure 20 is a cross-section from the line XX-XX in Figure 19.

These drawings show a rail fastening including a rail plate I consisting of 9, steel plate. having portions of the same partially severed'from 5 the rest, as at 2, to form sets of opposing curved fingers 3 having oppositely spaced tips and which are positioned to be adjacent and parallel either side of the base of a rail 4 supported by this plate. Furthermore, as shown by the drawings, the fingers are so formed that some of the steel is forced to now from their tips toward their junctions with the plate whereby enlarged bases result which are sufficient to support the rail base laterally. Obviously the fingers 2 are capable of 16 performing the same function as the machined .heavy ribs b shown by the patent mentioned,

although there is much less metal inthe plate being described than in that of the patented construction. The plate i is sloped according to the 20 rail cant desired, and its ends provided with holes 5 for the purpose of receiving screw spikes.

The new construction also includes rail holding clips 6 which are capable of transversely bridging each of the setsof the fingers and which have openings 1 which may be registered with the spacesbetween the tips of the fingers 3," and bolts 8 constructed for insertion between the 'fingers 2 with their shanks extending upwardly between the tips of the same and through the openings 1 in the clips 6. These bolts are threaded to receive nuts 9 for the purpose offastening the clips 6 in place, and have T-heads l0 providing top surfaces It that are curved. so. as to seat against the bottoms of the fingers. 3, The tips of these fingers are spaced sufilciently. to permit the bolts to tilt in the direction of the rail 4. The details described in this paragraph may be constructed in the same manner and are for the same purpose as are those of similar nature which are described by the patent mentioned.

.The present invention also provides a new method of making rail plates of the general character described by the named patent.

According to this method steel is rolled into fiat bars H of cross-sections which taper according to the desired slope of the finished rail seats. It should be noted that the bars are flat excepting for such slope and the flattened portions at both sides of this slope against which the screw spikes must seat.

The bars are rolled to widths which are practically the same as the desired width of the plates and, after being rolled, are transversely cutso as 66 to produce plates of the lengths desired. Portions of the steel of these plates are then worked upwardly away from the rest into sets of opposing fingers having spaced tips. These fingers are capable of performing the same functions as are the machined heavy ribs considered necessary in the patented construction.

The method just described is particularly characterized in that the working mentioned may be done so that the resulting worked sets of fingers are selectively spaced on the rail plates so as to parallel the base of a rail of any width, whereby rail plates having the desired projections or members, properly spaced to accommodate a range of rail sizes, are produced from the same rolled product.

In other words, the fiat rail plates resulting from the cutting of the fiat bars I! are of such character that it is not necessary to space the fingers worked from their steel at any certain set points. Therefore, their spacing may be varied .to accommodate the different widths of the bases of the rails of different weights. In the patented construction, the ribs are rolled so that their positions are set and it is necessary to use entirely .dif-

ferent roll sections if the resulting rail fastenings are to accommodate different rail sizes.

Referring more specifically to the method of working the fiat steel plate so as to produce the projections or fingers for receiving a T-headed bolt andwhich may be transversely bridged by a rail clip, the drawings show a plate l 5 cut from the bar H and which, it-may be assumed, is heated above a forging temperature. Each'set of fingers is made by depressing a portion iii of the plate so as to sever its surface at parallel lines l6,'this being done by a punch 11. The punch is shaped so as to displace metal laterally from the center of the portion 06 so as to produce a weakened area.

The portion i6 is then forced upwardly by means of dies I8 so as to form a loop H, the center weakened area readily giving to produce a centrally slender shape. The sides of this loop are smoothed and straightened by dies 20 and the loop then returned to its initial width by dies 2|, or the dies l8 may be used again at this point of the working if desired. The central'portion of the loop I9 is then removed by a punch 22 and die 23 sothat a set of tapered and curved fingers having spaced tips is the result.

The tapered shape results from the displacement caused by the punch l1 and by the shapes of the subsequently useddies, these effecting the forcing of some of the steel from the tips of the fingers toward their junctions with the plate so as to result in the enlarged bases previously mentioned. i

A modification of this method may consist in forming a rectangular hole 24 in one of the plates l5 and then upwardly forcing the fingers from the portions 25 of the plate that are opposite the long side of this hole so that the set of fingers having spaced ends is again the result.

Figures 14 and 15 show this modification, the

with the inner surfaces of the fingers 8 The reenforcing action of these lugs is apparent.

It may sometimes be desirable to place a wood or rubber shim 28 beneath the base of the rail. In such an.instance the lugs-21 are particularly 5 desirable since they restrain spreading of such a shim.

Although specific examples of this invention have been described in accordance with the patent statutes, it is not intended to-limit the scope of 10 the invention exactly thereto, except as defined by the following claims.

I claim: 7

l. A rail fastening including a rail seat that consists of a steel plate having portions of the 5 same partially severed from the rest and displaced upwardly above the top surface of said plate to form sets of oppositely disposed tapered fingers positioned so as to be adjacent and parallel either side of a rail supported by said seat, said 20 fingers being so formed that some of the steel is forced to fiow from their tips toward their junctions with said plate, whereby said fingers have enlarged bases,- rail-holding clips capable of transversely bridging each of said sets and having openings registering with the spaces between the I tips of said fingers, and T-headed bolts conopenings in said clips whereby fastenings may be 30 applied to the same.

2. A rail fastening including a rail seat that consists of a steel plate having portions of, the same partially severed from the rest and displaced upwardly above the top .surface of said 35 plate to form sets of oppositely disposed tapered fingers positioned so as to be adjacent and parallel either side of a rail supported by said seat, said fingers being so formed that some of the steel is forced to flow from their tips toward 40 their junctions with said plate, whereby said fingers have enlarged bases, rail-holding clips capable of transversely bridging each of said sets and having openings registering with the spaces between the tips of said fingers, and bolts con- 45 structed for insertion between said fingers with their shanks extending upwardly between the tips thereof and throughthe openings in said clips whereby fastenings may be applied thereto, said bolts having T-heads providing top surfaces that so are curved so as to fit against the bottoms of said fingers and the tips of said fingers beingspaced sufficiently to permit said bolts to tilt in'the direction of said rail.

3. A rail fastening including a. rail seat that 55 consists of a steel plate having portionsof the same partially severed from the rest and displaced upwardly above the top surface of said plate'to form sets of oppositely disposed tapered fingers positioned so as to be adjacenttand par- ,60 allel either side of a rail supported by said seat, said fingers being. so formed that some of the steel is forced to fiow from their tips toward their junctions with said plate, whereby said fingers have enlarged bases, rail-holding clipsv ca- 05 pable of transversely bridging each of said sets and having openings registering with the spaces between the tips of said fingers, and bolts .con-

vaoaaa'ro spaced sufllciently to permit said bolts to tilt in the direction of said rail, said sets of fingers being reenforced against lateral movement of said rail in that other portions of said steel plate are displaced upwardly from the same to form lugs on either side thereof and whose inner surfaces are parallel with the inner surfaces of said fingers.

4. A rail fastening including a rail seat that consists of a steel plate having portions of the same partially severed from the rest and displaced upwardly above the top surface of said plate to form sets of oppositely disposed tapered fingers positioned so as to be adjacent and parallel either side of a rail supported by said seat, said fingers being so formed that some of the steel is forced to fiow from their tips toward their junctions with said plate, whereby said fingers have enlarged bases, rail-holding clips capable of transversely bridging each of said sets and having openings registering with the spaces between fingers and the tips of said fingers being spaced 1 sufiiciently to permit said bolts to tilt in the di rection of said rail, and said steel plate having other portions displaced upwardly to form lugs on either side of said fingers which are positioned to function to prevent spreading of a deformable 15 shim should same be used beneath the base of the rail supported by said seat.

WIILIAM e. OBERG. 

